Queen Latifah's "Single Ladies" on VH1: Atlanta's Answer to Sex & the City?

As if the city needed yet another reason to chant Beyonce's disgustingly infectious song, "Single Ladies"-Queen Latifah provides another one. The Queen (also known as Dana Owens) has produced VH1 TV series, "Single Ladies"-an hour-long comedic series that focusing on three BFF's approach to love, while living the good life in a big city (Atlanta.) If the premise sounds oddly familiar, you're probably not alone. Perhaps images of Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha are dancing provocatively in your head. Shows that feature sassy girlfriends are designed to strike a chord with female audiences. Queen Latifah's "Single Ladies" certainly isn't a replica of the hit HBO series, "Sex & the City." But judging from the "Single Ladies" sneak peek clip, it becomes obvious that VH1 is playfully dancing with TV rating systems. Set to debut in July 2011, "Single Ladies" appears to have all the fixings of a juicy VH1 comedic drama: sex, celeb cameos, and plenty of sticky situations.

The Ladies...

How else other than sexy are the stars of "Single Ladies" supposed to be? The starring line-up featuring Stacey Dash, LisaRaye McCoy and Charity Shea provide just the right amount of eye candy to please the masses. That Queen Latifah is no stranger to the inner workings of female friendship depicted on television, is icing on the cake. Starring in Fox network sitcom "Living Single", Latifah is a veteran of the "TV girlfriends" dynamic.

That these characters will appeal to women in their 30s and 40s also isn't an accident. TV series featuring single black women in this age group are far and few between. Will audiences latch onto Dash, McCoy, and Hollywood newcomer, Shea? That depends on how well the women sink into their roles without becoming caricatures of their intended personalities. The fashion mogul (Dash) and "married friend" (Shea) have the acting chops to balance out any rickety parts. Will it be a stretch for LisaRaye to play a former video vixen seeking a sugar daddy (her character on the show)? You'll have to be the judge.

The Sex...

Any program highlighting any form of urban romantic plight will probably have hordes of women setting their DVRs. While it's no big secret that Atlanta is also known for its stilted ratio of black men to black women, this doesn't seem to be the entire premise of the show. But on "Sex & the City", even Carrie Bradshaw and her lady bunch always seemed to lament over the lack of good available men. "Single Ladies" has been dubbed the series to pick up where the CW's "Girlfriends" left off. VH1's modern approach to comedic drama is what might set the two shows apart. Things definitely won't be as rated R as the HBO hit series. But there's certainly enough dirt to keep up with the Joneses.

And the City...

Atlanta is quickly becoming the country's go-to city for various kinds of entertainment. It's not too surprising that a number of shows are now using the sprawling metro area as a Hollywood backdrop-another great tactic for amassing viewers. Women watching throughout the city will be scanning each scene, searching for venues they recognize or extras they know. They'll wonder: do flirty, hunky, shirtless men randomly jog through (what appears to be) Piedmont Park? Why certainly. But the scene they'll encounter with real life hunky shirtless man might not be as pleasantly "scripted."

And let's not forget all the future critics (amateur and professional, alike) who will condemn the program for its plastic portrayal of Atlanta or indulgence in overt stereotypes. But just as Miami has become a hotbed for reality TV, Atlanta's gentle metropolis is now a filming favorite. Those who live in the city know the real deal. Glossed up versions of popular cities is justifiable in TV land.

Other Mentionables...

We could continue to compare the new series to HBO's "Sex & the City." But we'll still come up with quite a few roadblocks. The show focuses on a trio of women, not the ever-popular foursome. We are immediately reminded that not all ladies travel in packs of four; in fact, trios are quite common to find.

We're also provided the logistics of black romances, a segment of pop culture that still remains in the dark. That said, a primarily black cast speaks volumes on a comedic series such as "Single Ladies." According to the promo clip, interracial love also plays heavily-something that other urban shows sometimes shy away from. Jeff Olde, EVP of Original Programming and Production gave Latifah's debut the immediate thumbs up; The series was shot as a movie first, and then transformed into the "Single Ladies" series.

Attempting to fill a void in modern television, Queen Latifah's new series takes a giant, brave stab. The show could be easily panned, jeered, or simply ignored. At least 90% of people recently polled (as of this publication) on bvnewswire.com indicated that they were interested in seeing the show. Getting and keeping viewers' interest are two different things. But if "Single Ladies" brings both sharp wit and sex appeal to mass audiences, then the saucy trio could give Carrie & Co. a run for its money. (Fingers crossed.)

SOURCES:

www.vh1.com
www.fox.com
www.mediatakeout.com
www.bvnewswire.com